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Recent News

ANTI-THEFT KEY: When we busted car thieves in Modesto [C/D, July 2006], the Ravelco anti-theft device (www.ravelco.com) was cited by name by the cops, so we decided to fit one to our precious Eclipse. The big appeal over wake-you-up-at-4 a.m. car alarms is that the Ravelco is simple, with no power required. A wiring shunt is soldered into the car’s starting and ignition circuits, the connections hidden amid the miles of cables in the bowels of the engine compartment. The shunt is itself disguised within a knot of wires that run in a steel-sheathed conduit to a 16-pin connector on the lower dash. The car will start and run only if the matching Ravelco key is inserted into the connector to complete the circuit (Ravelco claims 100,000 different pin combinations, and there is no master key). A Ravelco installer fits it for you in about two hours. Price: $400. How’s it work? So far, no one’s boosted the car. — Aaron Robinson

iPOD DOCK: According to Apple, it has sold more than 88 million iPods since the unit’s release on October 23, 2001. It is no surprise that a couple examples of the digital music player have made their way into our office. Staffers like the iPod (not related to BMW’s iDrive) because of its simple and intuitive controls. The Harman/Kardon Drive + Play ($119 plus shipping from www.harmanaudio.com, installed at Mr. Tunes for $49) is a dock for iPods that essentially splits the iPod in half, putting the controls in the driver’s reach on the center console and the display on the dash. This system keeps the driver’s eyes up and on the road. The Drive + Play can connect to the radio a number of ways — we used a wired FM modulator — and charges the iPod while connected. The control pod mimics the famous iPod click wheel, with four buttons on the edge and one in the center. Move the outer ring left or right, and the Drive + Play’s display reacts the same as it would if you were scrolling an iPod. If you are the audiophile who can’t leave the house without your 10,000 songs, this is one automotive solution. — K.C. Colwell